Carlos Alcaraz booed by fans as meltdown sees Spaniard accuse umpire of being influenced by Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz could not hide his anger as he crashed out of the Australian Open quarter-finals. The Spaniard failed to control his emotions as he angrily questioned a decision towards the umpire during his 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6 loss to Novak Djokovic. ReutersAlcaraz vented his anger towards the umpire during his clash[/caption] Alcaraz’s frustration boiled over in the first set of his eventual loss after chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore called a let for a serve, which he felt was out. The 21-year-old took the first set in the quarter-final clash 6-4, but Djokovic proved resurganet fighting back to win the next three sets and secure his place in the last four. Previously, a let machine would decide when a player’s serve has hit the net, but it is no longer in use at tournaments with the umpire tasked with calling it. Djokovic‘s serve was clearly a let and he stopped so he could serve again, but the two-time Wimbledon champion took issue with the umpire making the call after he returned the ball. Once the umpire made her decision, the world number three, who was trailing 3-1 in the second set at the time, stormed up to the official after she took a few seconds to make her call. Boos rang around as fans inside Rod Laver Arena jeered the four-time Grand Slam champion. Alcaraz told Asderaki-Moore: “I’m not complaining about whether it was a let or not.” Before adding: “It was five minutes late.” He then accused the umpire of being influenced by Djokovic in a wild claim. The 21-year-old said: “It’s crazy! It was the let but you stopped because he stopped. I know you stopped because he stopped.” As Alcaraz retreated back to the baseline, Eurosport commentator Naomi Cavaday stated: “I think everyone is in agreement that it was a let. Alcaraz and Djokovic are battling it out for a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals GettyThe Spaniard wasn’t pleased with a let call during the second set[/caption] Djokovic didn’t look impressed by Alcaraz’s outburstEurosport “But Alcaraz is just not happy, he thinks the umpire has been influenced by Djokovic stopping in that point.” Tim Henman, the former British No.1, noticed the Serbian’s reaction as he seemed to stare down the Spaniard after he approached the umpire. He said: “I don’t think Djokovic is too thrilled that Alcaraz is asking that question.” Their match has already seen the pair make a bit of history, with the gap in age – 15 years and 349 days – the largest in a Slam quarter-final since Jimmy Connors v Andre Agassi in the 1989 US Open. Djokovic’s win sees the Serbian set up a mouth-watering clash with World No.2 Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals as he bids to win his 11th Australian Open title. For Alcaraz attention now turns to the Middle East where he will play in Doha and Dubai ahead of the French Open which begins in May.
Carlos Alcaraz could not hide his anger as he crashed out of the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The Spaniard failed to control his emotions as he angrily questioned a decision towards the umpire during his 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6 loss to Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz’s frustration boiled over in the first set of his eventual loss after chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore called a let for a serve, which he felt was out.
The 21-year-old took the first set in the quarter-final clash 6-4, but Djokovic proved resurganet fighting back to win the next three sets and secure his place in the last four.
Previously, a let machine would decide when a player’s serve has hit the net, but it is no longer in use at tournaments with the umpire tasked with calling it.
Djokovic‘s serve was clearly a let and he stopped so he could serve again, but the two-time Wimbledon champion took issue with the umpire making the call after he returned the ball.
Once the umpire made her decision, the world number three, who was trailing 3-1 in the second set at the time, stormed up to the official after she took a few seconds to make her call.
Boos rang around as fans inside Rod Laver Arena jeered the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Alcaraz told Asderaki-Moore: “I’m not complaining about whether it was a let or not.”
Before adding: “It was five minutes late.”
He then accused the umpire of being influenced by Djokovic in a wild claim.
The 21-year-old said: “It’s crazy! It was the let but you stopped because he stopped. I know you stopped because he stopped.”
As Alcaraz retreated back to the baseline, Eurosport commentator Naomi Cavaday stated: “I think everyone is in agreement that it was a let.
“But Alcaraz is just not happy, he thinks the umpire has been influenced by Djokovic stopping in that point.”
Tim Henman, the former British No.1, noticed the Serbian’s reaction as he seemed to stare down the Spaniard after he approached the umpire.
He said: “I don’t think Djokovic is too thrilled that Alcaraz is asking that question.”
Their match has already seen the pair make a bit of history, with the gap in age – 15 years and 349 days – the largest in a Slam quarter-final since Jimmy Connors v Andre Agassi in the 1989 US Open.
Djokovic’s win sees the Serbian set up a mouth-watering clash with World No.2 Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals as he bids to win his 11th Australian Open title.
For Alcaraz attention now turns to the Middle East where he will play in Doha and Dubai ahead of the French Open which begins in May.
